Running Around (and Such) Reviewed By Tiffany Schlarman of Bookpleasures.com

Tiffany Schlarman

Reviewer
Tiffany Schlarman: Tiffany is
an avid reader with a passion and love for books. Tiffany enjoys
sharing her passion of reading with her children and her friends. She
is a stay-at-home mom by day and works in management for a call
center of a textbook company that provides for high schools,
colleges and universities around the globe.

For
Lizzie Glick life is not planned or on a path like her sisters, Emma
and Mandy are ready to be married, keep house and have children. They
are sure about their beliefs and faith in God. Lizzie's is not sure of
her beliefs and faith, nor does she understand what God’s will means or
how praying will help her. When Lizzie’s family moves to a new county
Lizzie is faced with the process of growing up. In a year she will be
sixteen and her “running around” years will begin. Lizzie’s hot temper,
stubborn will and doubtful nature will make this time in her life a
little harder, but more worthwhile to Lizzie in the end.

Running Around is
an Amish coming of age novel that was written based on true experiences
from the author. The novel is the first book of it’s’ series and
currently there are two more books ready for publication in 2010 and
2011. The novel was one of the best Amish novels I have read in regards
to the language use. The author gives a glossary of Amish terms in the
back of the novel that I would highly suggest reading before you
start. Each term is used constantly throughout the book when it is
needed. The reader is not overwhelmed by the language. It is enough to
be authentic but not overbearing. Along with the authentic feel of the
book due to the language, the reader is enabled to understand the Amish
terms without any confusion or frustrations. I have read Amish related
novels that switched back and forth between English and Amish terms for
the same word, this novel did not do that and I was very glad. Running Around
was a quick and easy novel to read and was a wonderful coming of age
story. Lizzie is in that awkward stage of life and trying so hard to
fit into her family and community. It brought back memories of that
time in my life and had me rooting for Lizzie.

I
really enjoyed this novel. It was well written and easy to read. I
would highly suggest this book to readers ages ten to fifteen. It is
definitely a young adult novel. There were a few parts of the book that
felt repetitive in nature. The author frequently explained some of
Lizzie's doubts and disbeliefs. After a couple of these I was ready to
not read it again, because I knew how Lizzie felt seeing nothing had
changed the facts. The novel left me interested in what would happen
next for Lizzie as not all questions are answered in this book and there
is more of the plot to be decided. The books to come will be fun to
read as Lizzie's story continues. I would like to read more from Linda
Byler, possibly an adult genre.